Insufficient explanation about hedgehog achievements

Only 50 percent of doctors explain enough about IGEL services

03/18/2013

So-called hedgehog services are health services that are not covered by the statutory health insurance. A survey of the opinion and research institute „Forsa“ on behalf of the German employees health insurance DAK showed that only every second doctor informs his patients sufficiently about the private services.

Every fourth patient in Germany has ever been offered a hedgehog performance. „Most of the hedgehog benefits are offered to women“, as can be read in the study report. The benefits must always be paid by the patients out of pocket. About one in three patients who had been offered such a private service before, declined the offer with thanks.

87 percent prefer the conversation with the doctor
Doctors and patients do not act on equal terms, criticizes health expert Dieter Carius from DAK-Gesundheit. The results would show that in many cases patients are not sufficiently informed in sufficient detail about the services offered.

87 percent of respondents said they still felt safest with a doctor about health issues. 64 percent also get their information from personal conversations and 58 percent are specifically looking for health topics on the Internet. The survey on patient rights surveyed over 1,000 female and male adults. (Sb)

Also read:
Which IGeL services really make sense
IGeL services often unnecessary at the doctor
Health insurance companies want to restrict additional benefits
Doctors are selling more and more benefits
Doctors as sellers of additional services
Doctor appointments: Cash patients are disadvantaged
Barely useful additional services at the doctor